An off-duty NYPD officer is the second officer in less than a week to get in trouble for allegedly firing his weapon in Westchester.
New Rochelle police say Officer Jamarie Flowers, 25, was involved in an argument in front of the Carrington Arms apartment complex at 33 Lincoln Ave. just after 1 a.m. Investigators say Flowers fired several rounds from his handgun into the air during the argument.
New Rochelle Police Capt. Joseph Schaller says Flowers used a semi-automatic personal handgun that was not his service weapon.
"As the dispute concluded, he pulled out a gun and let several rounds go into the air," says Schaller.
Flowers was arrested in his apartment at the complex and was charged with reckless endangerment.
No one was injured and there was no property damage.
Flowers was released on $10,000 bail. He has also been suspended from the NYPD without pay.
He is due back in court June 2.
Last Tuesday, Officer Brendan Cronin, 27, allegedly fired shots from his parked car and hit a man at a stoplight with six bullets.
The victim is recovering and Cronin was charged with felony assault.
Showing posts with label shooting weapon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shooting weapon. Show all posts
Monday, May 05, 2014
Sunday, May 04, 2014
Officer Jamarie Flowers Arrested for Firing Gun into the Air
An off-duty NYPD cop was arrested early Saturday after he allegedly fired several shots into the air in New Rochelle.
Police said Jamarie Flowers, 25, fired his gun after getting into a verbal dispute outside the Carrington Arms apartment building on Lincoln Avenue.
No one was injured, but Flowers was charged with first degree reckless endangerment.
This is just the latest NYPD officer to be arrested for acting recklessly.
Earlier in the week officer Brendan Cronin was arrested, accused of shooting a man six times in Pelham.
He allegedly fired more than a dozen bullets.
Cronin reportedly was at an NYPD shooting range earlier that day before going to a bar.
He refused to take a breathalyzer test.
In late April, an NYPD detective accidentally shot his partner in the wrist.
He was charged with driving while intoxicated.
Police said Jamarie Flowers, 25, fired his gun after getting into a verbal dispute outside the Carrington Arms apartment building on Lincoln Avenue.
No one was injured, but Flowers was charged with first degree reckless endangerment.
This is just the latest NYPD officer to be arrested for acting recklessly.
Earlier in the week officer Brendan Cronin was arrested, accused of shooting a man six times in Pelham.
He allegedly fired more than a dozen bullets.
Cronin reportedly was at an NYPD shooting range earlier that day before going to a bar.
He refused to take a breathalyzer test.
In late April, an NYPD detective accidentally shot his partner in the wrist.
He was charged with driving while intoxicated.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Officer Rafael Mendoza arrested in Mesquite; was also arrested in 2011
Dallas Police have placed Officer Rafael Mendoza on administrative leave after his arrest in Mesquite early Sunday.
A Dallas
police officer is on administrative leave after being arrested in
Mesquite. He's also accused of firing a shot into another car.
According to a
statement from Bill Hedgpeth of the Mesquite Police
Department, off-duty Dallas Officer Rafael Mendoza was taken into
custody early Sunday Morning.
"At about
2:40am Sunday morning, Mesquite Police responded to a “person with a
gun” call in the area of IH-30 and Big Town. A caller said that a person
traveling eastbound on IH-30 was holding a gun out of the driver’s side
window."
The vehicle was located near I-30 and Northwest Highway.
"The driver
appeared to be intoxicated and after field sobriety tests were
conducted, he was arrested," the statement said." A handgun was
recovered at the scene and a small amount of marijuana was also located
in the vehicle."
Officer
Mendoza was taken into custody. He is charged with Aggravated Assault
with a Deadly Weapon, Driving While Intoxicated and Possession of
Marijuana under two ounces.
A second caller told police that the driver of vehicle matching Mendoza's fired a bullet into the trunk of his car.
The Dallas Police Department also released a statement.
"Officer
Mendoza is assigned to the Northeast Patrol Division and has been
employed by the Dallas Police Department since December of 2008. In
addition to the criminal charges, an administrative investigation will
be conducted by the Department’s Internal Affairs Division."
The City of Mesquite will investigate the incident.
In August of 2011, NBC 5 reported Mendoza's arrest for domestic assault and unlawful restraint.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Former Officer Christopher Swanson Will Stand Trial for Shooting
A former Salinas police officer will be required to stand trial on a felony charge of discharging his firearm with gross negligence stemming from a 2009 incident during which he and another officer fired 14 shots into a vehicle occupied by two unarmed people.
A jury trial for Christopher Swanson, 37, is scheduled to begin March 24 in the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Russell D. Scott.
Swanson was on the Salinas police force for about a year late Feb. 3, 2009, when he pulled over a Ford Expedition SUV about 11:30 p.m. in a violence-torn neighborhood in East Salinas.
The routine traffic stop turned volatile when thought he heard a pop, saw what he believed was the flash of a gun muzzle, and felt what he assumed was a bullet striking his Kevlar vest.
As he reeled away from the car, he heard several gunshots fired by officer Steven Mattocks. Swanson then opened fire.
The officers put 14 rounds into the SUV, shattering the rear window and a side window, but did not injure the occupants.
Swanson was terminated from the force, and the city of Salinas paid a settlement of $130,000 each to driver Adriana Velazquez and passenger Julio Hernandez.
Judge Scott determined Thursday that sufficient evidence was presented during pre-trial hearings to warrant a trial, concluding that Swanson "grossly overreacted" after misinterpreting a series of events.
Swanson's defense attorney, Mike Lawrence, suggested during hearings the popping sound the officer heard might have been created when Hernandez crushed a beer can while attempting to conceal it. He implied the flash could have been a reflection from Swanson's flashlight off the can, or a change purse, or CDs in the vehicle.
But Scott noted Mattocks heard and saw nothing as he stood at the passenger-side window, and opened fire because he thought Swanson yelled, "I've been shot!" Swanson testified Thursday that he didn't recall yelling "I've been shot!"
Lawrence expressed confidence Friday the evidence that will be presented during the trial will clear Swanson, a retired Marine who served two combat tours in Iraq before becoming a police officer.
"There is a substantial difference between a preliminary hearing and a jury trial," he said. "At the jury trial, all the witnesses will be subpoenaed and we're confident that we can show that the beer can played a significant part in officer Swanson's perceptions that night in a dangerous area of the city."
Swanson faces as much as three years in prison, or as little as probation, if convicted.
A jury trial for Christopher Swanson, 37, is scheduled to begin March 24 in the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Russell D. Scott.
Swanson was on the Salinas police force for about a year late Feb. 3, 2009, when he pulled over a Ford Expedition SUV about 11:30 p.m. in a violence-torn neighborhood in East Salinas.
The routine traffic stop turned volatile when thought he heard a pop, saw what he believed was the flash of a gun muzzle, and felt what he assumed was a bullet striking his Kevlar vest.
As he reeled away from the car, he heard several gunshots fired by officer Steven Mattocks. Swanson then opened fire.
The officers put 14 rounds into the SUV, shattering the rear window and a side window, but did not injure the occupants.
Swanson was terminated from the force, and the city of Salinas paid a settlement of $130,000 each to driver Adriana Velazquez and passenger Julio Hernandez.
Judge Scott determined Thursday that sufficient evidence was presented during pre-trial hearings to warrant a trial, concluding that Swanson "grossly overreacted" after misinterpreting a series of events.
Swanson's defense attorney, Mike Lawrence, suggested during hearings the popping sound the officer heard might have been created when Hernandez crushed a beer can while attempting to conceal it. He implied the flash could have been a reflection from Swanson's flashlight off the can, or a change purse, or CDs in the vehicle.
But Scott noted Mattocks heard and saw nothing as he stood at the passenger-side window, and opened fire because he thought Swanson yelled, "I've been shot!" Swanson testified Thursday that he didn't recall yelling "I've been shot!"
Lawrence expressed confidence Friday the evidence that will be presented during the trial will clear Swanson, a retired Marine who served two combat tours in Iraq before becoming a police officer.
"There is a substantial difference between a preliminary hearing and a jury trial," he said. "At the jury trial, all the witnesses will be subpoenaed and we're confident that we can show that the beer can played a significant part in officer Swanson's perceptions that night in a dangerous area of the city."
Swanson faces as much as three years in prison, or as little as probation, if convicted.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Officer On Leave After Shooting At Woman
A police officer who fired his gun at a woman as she drove by him in her SUV has been placed on administrative leave.
Barbara E. Henry, 59, of Sunrise, suffered cuts and bruises from the shattering glass of her vehicle’s window, but the bullet did not strike her.
“I was on my way to work and drove slowly past all the police, who had their lights flashing,” said Henry, a nursing assistant. “I heard a loud bang, and glass flew all over me. I was bleeding, and thought I was shot. The police dragged me out of the car, threw me on the ground, and handcuffed me.”
Henry has not been charged with a crime.
Plantation police officer Miguel Lopez has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the Monday, Feb. 8 incident.
Sunrise Police spokesman Lt. Brian Gerity said Henry refused the officer’s command to stop, then hit him with her vehicle as she tried to avoid a check point, according to published reports. That’s when Lopez responded by firing one shot at her through the driver’s side window.
Here’s what happened, according to police:
Plantation police had chased two alleged purse snatching suspects into neighboring Sunrise, and set up a network of officers to catch the suspects in the area of the 6100 block of West Sunrise Boulevard. Sunrise police joined the effort to locate the suspects. Lopez was manning a perimeter point on Sunset Strip, near West Sunrise Boulevard. Henry was driving south on Sunset Strip on her way to work at around 10:30 p.m. when she came upon the operation.
“I was driving slow, because I thought there was an accident. The next thing I know, I heard this loud bang,” Henry explained.
Plantation police referred all calls about the incident to the Sunrise Police Department.
“I’ve been directed to forward all inquiries to the city of Sunrise, which is unusual, but they are handling the investigation,” Plantation police spokesman Robert Rettig said.
Sunrise police did not immediately respond to calls and emails from the South Florida Times.
Henry disputes the police version. She said she has no criminal record, and has never been arrested. She said she did not hit or try to avoid anyone at the scene.
“I was screaming and telling them, ‘I am a nurse and I’m on my way to work,’ but they told me I was shot by mistaken identity,” she said.
Henry said paramedics were called, and they rushed her to the hospital, where police seized her cell phone. The 1999 Ford Explorer SUV she was driving was impounded, but was released on Wednesday.
Henry’s attorney said he is filing records requests, and will begin an effort to obtain surveillance video footage from nearby businesses.
“My client was shot at, and for no apparent reason,” said attorney Johnny McCray Jr. “She did not hit anyone, and the shot was fired through the driver’s side window, which raises a lot of other questions why shots were fired in the first place.”
Henry was treated for cuts and bruises at Plantation General Hospital and released.
She said she is having nightmares about the shooting.
“I’m traumatized,” she said. “I can’t sleep, and it’s all I think about.”
Barbara E. Henry, 59, of Sunrise, suffered cuts and bruises from the shattering glass of her vehicle’s window, but the bullet did not strike her.
“I was on my way to work and drove slowly past all the police, who had their lights flashing,” said Henry, a nursing assistant. “I heard a loud bang, and glass flew all over me. I was bleeding, and thought I was shot. The police dragged me out of the car, threw me on the ground, and handcuffed me.”
Henry has not been charged with a crime.
Plantation police officer Miguel Lopez has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the Monday, Feb. 8 incident.
Sunrise Police spokesman Lt. Brian Gerity said Henry refused the officer’s command to stop, then hit him with her vehicle as she tried to avoid a check point, according to published reports. That’s when Lopez responded by firing one shot at her through the driver’s side window.
Here’s what happened, according to police:
Plantation police had chased two alleged purse snatching suspects into neighboring Sunrise, and set up a network of officers to catch the suspects in the area of the 6100 block of West Sunrise Boulevard. Sunrise police joined the effort to locate the suspects. Lopez was manning a perimeter point on Sunset Strip, near West Sunrise Boulevard. Henry was driving south on Sunset Strip on her way to work at around 10:30 p.m. when she came upon the operation.
“I was driving slow, because I thought there was an accident. The next thing I know, I heard this loud bang,” Henry explained.
Plantation police referred all calls about the incident to the Sunrise Police Department.
“I’ve been directed to forward all inquiries to the city of Sunrise, which is unusual, but they are handling the investigation,” Plantation police spokesman Robert Rettig said.
Sunrise police did not immediately respond to calls and emails from the South Florida Times.
Henry disputes the police version. She said she has no criminal record, and has never been arrested. She said she did not hit or try to avoid anyone at the scene.
“I was screaming and telling them, ‘I am a nurse and I’m on my way to work,’ but they told me I was shot by mistaken identity,” she said.
Henry said paramedics were called, and they rushed her to the hospital, where police seized her cell phone. The 1999 Ford Explorer SUV she was driving was impounded, but was released on Wednesday.
Henry’s attorney said he is filing records requests, and will begin an effort to obtain surveillance video footage from nearby businesses.
“My client was shot at, and for no apparent reason,” said attorney Johnny McCray Jr. “She did not hit anyone, and the shot was fired through the driver’s side window, which raises a lot of other questions why shots were fired in the first place.”
Henry was treated for cuts and bruises at Plantation General Hospital and released.
She said she is having nightmares about the shooting.
“I’m traumatized,” she said. “I can’t sleep, and it’s all I think about.”
Friday, January 29, 2010
Officer Edmon Fulkerson Fired for Shooting Weapon into Air At Party
A Fort Worth police officer has been fired for shooting his city-issued weapon into the air at a party after someone squirted him with a water pistol.
In an internal investigation, officer Edmon S. Fulkerson admitted that he had been drinking throughout the evening and that he did not initially remember the incident, according to a letter filed with the Civil Service Commission on Friday.
The indefinite suspension went into effect on Monday. Fulkerson, who has been with the department since March 2004, has appealed.
Fulkerson’s attorney, Chris Barrett with the Combined Law Enforcement Agencies of Texas, said he disagrees with some of the purported facts outlined in the charging letter and looks forward to a hearing in which the city must prove what they allege happened.
In addition, Barrett said he believes the discipline handed down by the department is extremely harsh.
"While we don’t downplay its seriousness and we realize there’s some accountability to be hand, termination is just grossly excessive in this case," Barrett said.
According to the letter, Fulkerson was off-duty when he attended the party at a police officer’s home in Burleson on the evening of July 31.
The letter states Fulkerson admitted to internal investigation that he had been drinking beer and a couple mixed drinks through the evening and that his faculties were impaired. The letter states he told investigator that he did not immediately remember the incident but that "memory of the events began to return after several days."
According the letter, Fulkerson was sitting near the pool in the backyard of the home in the early morning hours of Aug. 1 when someone squirted him with a water pistol.
"Officer Fulkerson 'became angry’, drew his City issued Sig .40 caliber firearm from a holster in his waistband and discharged the weapon one time into the air," the letter states.
The letter states that after the shot was fired, other off-duty officers at the party secured Fulkerson’s weapons and arranged a ride home for him.
The letter points out that the shooting occurred in a residential neighborhood in which houses are closely surrounded by others.
"Officer Fulkerson displayed his city issued firearm in complete disregard of those people around him," the letter states. "Officer Fulkerson then completely disregarded the safety of others by his decision to discharge a firearm within a populated area and placing innocent persons in peril, as it is unknown where that projectile landed."
The letter also states Fulkerson failed to immediately notify the police department that he discharged his weapon, a violation of policy.
In an internal investigation, officer Edmon S. Fulkerson admitted that he had been drinking throughout the evening and that he did not initially remember the incident, according to a letter filed with the Civil Service Commission on Friday.
The indefinite suspension went into effect on Monday. Fulkerson, who has been with the department since March 2004, has appealed.
Fulkerson’s attorney, Chris Barrett with the Combined Law Enforcement Agencies of Texas, said he disagrees with some of the purported facts outlined in the charging letter and looks forward to a hearing in which the city must prove what they allege happened.
In addition, Barrett said he believes the discipline handed down by the department is extremely harsh.
"While we don’t downplay its seriousness and we realize there’s some accountability to be hand, termination is just grossly excessive in this case," Barrett said.
According to the letter, Fulkerson was off-duty when he attended the party at a police officer’s home in Burleson on the evening of July 31.
The letter states Fulkerson admitted to internal investigation that he had been drinking beer and a couple mixed drinks through the evening and that his faculties were impaired. The letter states he told investigator that he did not immediately remember the incident but that "memory of the events began to return after several days."
According the letter, Fulkerson was sitting near the pool in the backyard of the home in the early morning hours of Aug. 1 when someone squirted him with a water pistol.
"Officer Fulkerson 'became angry’, drew his City issued Sig .40 caliber firearm from a holster in his waistband and discharged the weapon one time into the air," the letter states.
The letter states that after the shot was fired, other off-duty officers at the party secured Fulkerson’s weapons and arranged a ride home for him.
The letter points out that the shooting occurred in a residential neighborhood in which houses are closely surrounded by others.
"Officer Fulkerson displayed his city issued firearm in complete disregard of those people around him," the letter states. "Officer Fulkerson then completely disregarded the safety of others by his decision to discharge a firearm within a populated area and placing innocent persons in peril, as it is unknown where that projectile landed."
The letter also states Fulkerson failed to immediately notify the police department that he discharged his weapon, a violation of policy.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Two New Orleans Officers Arrested
Two New Orleans police officers were booked into jail Thursday in separate criminal incidents.
In one case, a 6th District officer was indicted on charges that he participated in kidnapping a woman last summer. His partner, who was indicted last fall, is accused of undressing and raping the woman while she remained shackled, according to court documents.
In Thursday's other arrest, an officer was booked into jail for allegedly firing his weapon into his car at a downtown hotel parking garage while off-duty.
The arrests are the latest in a steady stream of misconduct cases to hit the New Orleans Police Department, which finds itself under federal investigation for possible deadly misconduct in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
NOPD spokesman Bob Young acknowledged the indictment of officer Thomas Clark, 36, on a count of second-degree kidnapping, adding that the allegations stem from the same incident as an alleged rape by Clark's partner, Henry Hollins.
Henry Hollins is being held in lieu of $1.5 million bail.
In November, Hollins was indicted both with aggravated rape and kidnapping. He is being held in jail in lieu of $1.5 million bail, according to court records.
Young said Clark is suspended without pay pending the outcome of the criminal case. Clark, who joined the NOPD in 2001, remained in jail on Thursday evening.
The Clark and Hollins indictments were unusual in that they stemmed from investigations conducted by the Orleans Parish district attorney's office, not the NOPD's Public Integrity Bureau.
Chris Bowman, a spokesman for the DA, acknowledged Clark's indictment, but declined to elaborate on the circumstances of the case.
Court documents allege that Hollins, 46, drove a woman to the intersection of Tchoupitoulas and Felicity streets "where he completely disrobed and raped the victim while she remained in handcuffs."
Hollins then drove the woman to an unknown location and released her from custody, the arrest warrant states.
Months prior to his indictment in the alleged rape, Hollins, a 12-year police veteran, was arrested and booked with domestic abuse for allegedly punching his wife in the mouth with a closed fist.
He was placed on desk duty following the domestic violence arrest in late August. After his indictment in November, NOPD Superintendent Warren Riley said Hollins was suspended without pay.
Clark's attorney, Frank DeSalvo, criticized the district attorney's office for its handling of the case.
"It's extortion," he said.
DeSalvo said that Howard Robertson, the head of the investigative unit for the district attorney, only made the case on Clark because the officer refused to implicate his partner by admitting to certain details of the crime.
"He wanted (Clark) to come in and tell him what he wanted to hear," DeSalvo claimed.
Bowman declined to respond to DeSalvo's accusation, saying "the district attorney's office is not going to try this or any other case in the media."
In Thursday's other arrest, police booked Officer Patrick O'Hern for illegally discharging a weapon on Dec. 12. The incident occurred about 2 p.m. on the rooftop parking lot of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside hotel at 2 Poydras St., said Officer Shereese Harper, a police spokeswoman.
Young said O'Hern fired his weapon several times into his personal vehicle. O'Hern was put on desk duty following the incident and now, after his arrest, is suspended without pay, Young said.
O'Hern was released from the Orleans Parish jail not long after he was booked. It is unclear who is representing him.
In one case, a 6th District officer was indicted on charges that he participated in kidnapping a woman last summer. His partner, who was indicted last fall, is accused of undressing and raping the woman while she remained shackled, according to court documents.
In Thursday's other arrest, an officer was booked into jail for allegedly firing his weapon into his car at a downtown hotel parking garage while off-duty.
The arrests are the latest in a steady stream of misconduct cases to hit the New Orleans Police Department, which finds itself under federal investigation for possible deadly misconduct in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
NOPD spokesman Bob Young acknowledged the indictment of officer Thomas Clark, 36, on a count of second-degree kidnapping, adding that the allegations stem from the same incident as an alleged rape by Clark's partner, Henry Hollins.
Henry Hollins is being held in lieu of $1.5 million bail.
In November, Hollins was indicted both with aggravated rape and kidnapping. He is being held in jail in lieu of $1.5 million bail, according to court records.
Young said Clark is suspended without pay pending the outcome of the criminal case. Clark, who joined the NOPD in 2001, remained in jail on Thursday evening.
The Clark and Hollins indictments were unusual in that they stemmed from investigations conducted by the Orleans Parish district attorney's office, not the NOPD's Public Integrity Bureau.
Chris Bowman, a spokesman for the DA, acknowledged Clark's indictment, but declined to elaborate on the circumstances of the case.
Court documents allege that Hollins, 46, drove a woman to the intersection of Tchoupitoulas and Felicity streets "where he completely disrobed and raped the victim while she remained in handcuffs."
Hollins then drove the woman to an unknown location and released her from custody, the arrest warrant states.
Months prior to his indictment in the alleged rape, Hollins, a 12-year police veteran, was arrested and booked with domestic abuse for allegedly punching his wife in the mouth with a closed fist.
He was placed on desk duty following the domestic violence arrest in late August. After his indictment in November, NOPD Superintendent Warren Riley said Hollins was suspended without pay.
Clark's attorney, Frank DeSalvo, criticized the district attorney's office for its handling of the case.
"It's extortion," he said.
DeSalvo said that Howard Robertson, the head of the investigative unit for the district attorney, only made the case on Clark because the officer refused to implicate his partner by admitting to certain details of the crime.
"He wanted (Clark) to come in and tell him what he wanted to hear," DeSalvo claimed.
Bowman declined to respond to DeSalvo's accusation, saying "the district attorney's office is not going to try this or any other case in the media."
In Thursday's other arrest, police booked Officer Patrick O'Hern for illegally discharging a weapon on Dec. 12. The incident occurred about 2 p.m. on the rooftop parking lot of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside hotel at 2 Poydras St., said Officer Shereese Harper, a police spokeswoman.
Young said O'Hern fired his weapon several times into his personal vehicle. O'Hern was put on desk duty following the incident and now, after his arrest, is suspended without pay, Young said.
O'Hern was released from the Orleans Parish jail not long after he was booked. It is unclear who is representing him.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Cpl Eddie Jimenez & His Brother Arrested for Battery
A Cedartown police officer and his brother have bonded out of the Polk County Jail after their early-morning arrests, but both face charges.
Cpl. Eddie Jimenez, 33, of 596 Dry Creek Road, Cedartown, is charged with battery under the Family Violence Act (FVA), cruelty to children and discharging a firearm under the influence. He was released on $1,500 bond and his own recognizance at the request of Judge Whitehead, according the jail docket book.
Martin Julian Jimenez, 34, of 602 Dry Creek Road, Cedartown is charged with battery under FVA. He was released on $500 bond and his own recognizance.
Both were arrested around 5:05 a.m. this morning after Polk County police received a domestic disturbance call. Both men were arrested by the Polk County police and county police are conducting the criminal investigation, according to Cedartown Police Department Assistant Chief Jamie Newsome.
Newsome said Jimenez was a school resource officer. He is still employed with the police department for now.
"Currently, as it stands right now, he's on adminstrative leave pending an internal affairs investigation, which I've called an outside agency to conduct," Newsome said, adding that he is sticking to protocal on the matter.
"I want the citizens to feel comfortable about the intregity of the investigation," he said.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Officer Walter Reyna Arrested for Assault & Shooting Weapon
A local police officer has been put on leave after being arrested for an assault on a family member.
Rogers police responded to a report of shots fired early Monday morning at a home on Pinewood Drive in Rogers. They said the man who fired the shot was 28-year-old Walter Reyna, a Lowell police officer.
Reyna was put on administrative leave soon after his arrest. He has been an officer with the Lowell Police Department since 2004, and received an Officer of the Year award just a few years ago. The Lowell police chief said Reyna has no history of disciplinary problems, but that might have changed on Monday morning.
"The call reflected that the male subject was intoxicated and had a firearm and the family left the residence. When they walked outside was when they heard what they believed to be the weapon discharging," said Cpl. Angel Murphy-Pearce, with the Rogers Police Department.
Rogers police officers were the ones who responded to the call, which ended up involving a Lowell police officer.
"Officers did go inside to check the welfare and status of the individual. He did not have the weapon on him at that time. It was seized later from the residence -- when he was arrested, the weapon was seized as well," Murphy-Pearce said.
Rogers police arrested Reyna for second degree assault on a family member, as well as discharging a firearm inside the city limits. Murphy-Pearce added that the weapon used, a shotgun, was not station-issued, and that the officers who responded to the scene probably knew where Reyna worked.
"The report does not reflect that he stated where he worked, but one of the officers present did know him, so they may have known where he was employed," Murphy-Pearce said.
As for one department arresting an officer with another department, Murphy-Pearce said it's unusual.
"It's not something that happens on a daily basis," Murphy-Pearce said.
_________________________
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/06/22/news/062309rzreyna.txt
Rogers police responded to a report of shots fired early Monday morning at a home on Pinewood Drive in Rogers. They said the man who fired the shot was 28-year-old Walter Reyna, a Lowell police officer.
Reyna was put on administrative leave soon after his arrest. He has been an officer with the Lowell Police Department since 2004, and received an Officer of the Year award just a few years ago. The Lowell police chief said Reyna has no history of disciplinary problems, but that might have changed on Monday morning.
"The call reflected that the male subject was intoxicated and had a firearm and the family left the residence. When they walked outside was when they heard what they believed to be the weapon discharging," said Cpl. Angel Murphy-Pearce, with the Rogers Police Department.
Rogers police officers were the ones who responded to the call, which ended up involving a Lowell police officer.
"Officers did go inside to check the welfare and status of the individual. He did not have the weapon on him at that time. It was seized later from the residence -- when he was arrested, the weapon was seized as well," Murphy-Pearce said.
Rogers police arrested Reyna for second degree assault on a family member, as well as discharging a firearm inside the city limits. Murphy-Pearce added that the weapon used, a shotgun, was not station-issued, and that the officers who responded to the scene probably knew where Reyna worked.
"The report does not reflect that he stated where he worked, but one of the officers present did know him, so they may have known where he was employed," Murphy-Pearce said.
As for one department arresting an officer with another department, Murphy-Pearce said it's unusual.
"It's not something that happens on a daily basis," Murphy-Pearce said.
_________________________
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/06/22/news/062309rzreyna.txt
Friday, June 12, 2009
Officer Kenneth Kapton Accused of Firing Gun into Air While Drunk
A Swissvale police officer resigned after being accused of firing a gun into the air behind his Penn Hills residence while intoxicated.
Kenneth Kapton, 57, handed in his letter of resignation to Swissvale Council on Wednesday night.
Kapton is charged with two counts of prohibited acts related to marijuana police seized from his home, disorderly conduct and violating a municipal ordinance prohibiting firearms and air guns, according to a criminal complaint.
Following the May 7 incident, Kapton underwent a psychological evaluation and was placed on administrative leave, officials said.
Kapton is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 6.
Kenneth Kapton, 57, handed in his letter of resignation to Swissvale Council on Wednesday night.
Kapton is charged with two counts of prohibited acts related to marijuana police seized from his home, disorderly conduct and violating a municipal ordinance prohibiting firearms and air guns, according to a criminal complaint.
Following the May 7 incident, Kapton underwent a psychological evaluation and was placed on administrative leave, officials said.
Kapton is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 6.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Former Officer Brian Bedsworth Accused of Unlawfully Shooting His Gun During High Speed Chase
A former Mt. Pleasant police officer is fighting criminal charges because he fired his police issued pistol.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation arrested Brian Bedsworth. He's accused of unlawfully shooting his gun at a suspect during a high speed chase.
The incident happened on March 21. When neighbor Ricky woke up he said his front yard was a crime scene.
Minutes earlier, Mt. Pleasant police officer Brian Bedsworth pulled over Eddie Roberts.
After a brief discussion, police said Roberts sped away; the officer pulled his pistol and started firing.
"Gunshots - saw a lot," said Ricky. "I think the officer was in the right for doing what he did. Anybody would protect their own life."
The TBI and the Mt. Pleasant police chief disagree. On Thursday, Bedsworth was charged with reckless endangerment with a weapon and reckless aggravated assault.
"As the vehicle was fleeing, leaving the scene, officer Bedsworth drew his gun and discharged it a total of nine times at the vehicle," said Mt. Pleasant police chief Tommy Goetz.
In Goetz' opinion, his officer violated the use of deadly force policy, which allows officers to use deadly force ‘to defend themselves or other persons from what the officer reasonably perceives as an immediate threat of death or serious injury.'
"The greatest fear would have been that an innocent bystander would have got hit, or the gas pumping station's line would have got hit," said Goetz.
The officer was firing in the direction of a natural gas station. Bedsworth's patrol car had a camera, that camera was not working during the particular traffic stop.
Bedsworth is out of the Maury County jail on bond. Soon after the incident Bedsworth resigned from the Mt. Pleasant Police Department, and he did not want to comment on his case.
Since this incident, Goetz said supervisors have once again briefed officers on the department's policy on the use of deadly force.
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http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=10442286
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Two Atlanta Officers Arrested for Firing Weapon Near Lake Allatoona
Two Atlanta Police officers are on paid administrative leave after authorities say they scared their neighbors by firing guns early Monday morning.
Lt. Jay Baker with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office tells WSB they began receiving multiple phone calls around 1 o'clock in the morning of numerous shots being fired near Lake Allatoona.
Deputies responded and determined that the gunshots were coming from a house in the Victoria Cottage Community on Cedar Drive.
"They apparently were on the back deck of their home, firing into the lake. Actually, there were some fishermen that were in the lake at that time. One of the deputies had gotten out and was walking the perimeter of the lake trying to locate the home, and one of the rounds struck in the water, near where he was standing," said Baker.
43-year-old Dan Rasmussen and 31-year-old Chad Armstrong, both Atlanta police officers, were charged with Reckless Conduct.
"Apparently, they had been drinking and alcohol and guns obviously do not mix very well. We were getting numerous calls. The people in that community did not know what was going on. Apparently, what we're thinking, at least 30 to 40 rounds were shot," said Baker.
22-year-old Robert Terza of Woodstock, was charged with Reckless Conduct. Rasmussen's wife, Toni, has been charged with obstruction.
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More information and pictures: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/19363695/detail.html
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Officer Curt Suskevich Terminated for Conduct Unbecoming a Police Officer
Cape Coral Police Chief Rob Petrovich has terminated the employment of Officer Curt Suskevich for “conduct unbecoming a police officer” following an internal affairs investigation.
Petrovich provided his final notice of disciplinary action to Suskevich today, said police spokeswoman Connie Barron.
Suskevich and his wife were arrested Aug. 17 after Key West police officers were called to their vacation home following a report of a gunshot.
The officers searched the home and found marijuana in the house, which Suskevich and his wife claimed belonged to her, Barron said.
Suskevich was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana.
Because of these charges, Suskevich was placed on administrative leave.
The criminal charges against him eventually were dismissed, and the department then launched an internal investigation into the incident, Barron said.
“After reviewing all of the information gathered during the investigation, I concluded that Officer Suskevich’s employment with the Cape Coral Police Department should be terminated,” Petrovich said.
“This investigation took a little longer than anticipated because I wanted to be very thorough and deliberative as I made my decision regarding Officer Suskevich and his future as a law enforcement officer, ” Petrovich said.
While Petrovich did not concur with the findings that sustained allegations of possession of a controlled substance and an intentional violation of state law, he did concur that a preponderance of the evidence supported the finding of “conduct unbecoming a police officer.
“The circumstances and facts regarding the possession allegations still raised questions in my mind, which is why I did not concur with those charges,” added Petrovich.
“However, the statements Officer Suskevich made to Key West police clearly indicated that he was aware of his wife’s marijuana use and took no affirmative action to address the illegal activity. This is unacceptable behavior for a police officer,” the police chief said.
Suskevich has the option of appealing his termination as provided in Article 8 of Ordinance 50-94 or grieving his suspension through Article 11 of the Police Collective Bargaining Agreement.
He was hired by the Cape Coral Police Department on March 13, 1999, and his salary was $59,945.
More Information: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28527865/
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Officer Randi Hieb Arrested for Firing Her Weapon at House
ASHLAND, Neb.
An Ashland police officer has been arrested for allegedly firing her weapon at her home.
Saunders County Attorney Scott Tingelhoff says the officer was arrested Sunday on two felony weapons charges.
He says the woman and her boyfriend got into a fight in Omaha. When they returned to their home in Ashland, she fired a gun and hit the house. Tingelhoff says the gun was her off-duty back-up weapon.
The officer has been with the Ashland Police Department for two years.
Information from: KETV-TV, http://www.ketv.com
More Information: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28370224/
An Ashland police officer has been arrested for allegedly firing her weapon at her home.
Saunders County Attorney Scott Tingelhoff says the officer was arrested Sunday on two felony weapons charges.
He says the woman and her boyfriend got into a fight in Omaha. When they returned to their home in Ashland, she fired a gun and hit the house. Tingelhoff says the gun was her off-duty back-up weapon.
The officer has been with the Ashland Police Department for two years.
Information from: KETV-TV, http://www.ketv.com
More Information: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28370224/
Monday, December 01, 2008
Officer Melody Pierce on Paid Leave After Shooting Ex-Boyfriend
JACKSON, Tenn.
A Humboldt police officer is on paid administrative leave after police say she shot her ex-boyfriend with a department-issued handgun.
Humboldt Police Chief Raymond Simmons says 31-year-old Melody Pierce told Milan police she shot 26-year-old Robert Kendall in the hip outside her Milan home Saturday.
Humboldt police officer Hunter Stewart was also involved in the incident and was back at work Monday.
Milan police Commander Bobby Sellers says the incident is still under investigation and no arrests have been made.
Kendall was taken to an area hospital and his condition is unknown.
A Humboldt police officer is on paid administrative leave after police say she shot her ex-boyfriend with a department-issued handgun.
Humboldt Police Chief Raymond Simmons says 31-year-old Melody Pierce told Milan police she shot 26-year-old Robert Kendall in the hip outside her Milan home Saturday.
Humboldt police officer Hunter Stewart was also involved in the incident and was back at work Monday.
Milan police Commander Bobby Sellers says the incident is still under investigation and no arrests have been made.
Kendall was taken to an area hospital and his condition is unknown.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sheriff Lee Baca Plans to BAN Deputies from Carrying Guns when they've Been Drinking
LOS ANGELES
The nation's largest sheriff's department plans to ban deputies from carrying guns if they've been drinking, saying there have been too many arrests of tipsy deputies for drunken driving, brandishing weapons, shooting people and other crimes.
At least 61 Los Angeles County deputies have been arrested this year on alcohol-related charges while off duty, including 39 for driving under the influence. In April 2006, a rookie deputy who had at least 11 drinks while celebrating his return from Marine duty in Iraq shot and killed a friend.
An increase in arrests prompted Sheriff Lee Baca to consider the ban about a year ago, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Tuesday.
It was unclear what caused that increase, although Whitmore noted that the number of sworn deputies in the department has increased to more than 10,000. It also may be that other police agencies are making more arrests of intoxicated deputies instead of covering for them as in decades past.
"Thirty, 40 years ago, perhaps they would drive (deputies) home," Whitmore said.
He said the policy could be in place as early as January.
"It's been revised, finalized, the union has been conferred with and the sheriff is prepared to move forward," Whitmore said.
The union is arguing, however, that the policy could put deputies at risk by emboldening people who know they would be unarmed at certain times.
"What should a deputy do when he is with his family and runs into a violent offender he incarcerated?" asked Steve Remige, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
Baca dismissed the criticism.
"What the union wants is to convince the public that alcohol use by deputies is of no consequence to public safety," Baca said, adding he was not asking his deputies to take any action he wouldn't take himself.
The policy would be among the more restrictive among law enforcement agencies. The Los Angeles Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department do not have specific policies about drinking and carrying weapons.
Baca's policy would bar Sheriff's Department employees from carrying or handling weapons if they have used alcohol, medications or controlled substances to the point where they are "unable to exercise reasonable care and control of the firearm."
Since 2004, more than a dozen deputies have been accused of brandishing or shooting guns while under the influence. One deputy was placed on leave after he accidentally shot a man in the leg after drinking at a New Year's party.
Another deputy, Chris Sullivan of Upland, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of his friend in April 2006.
San Bernardino County prosecutors contend that after a night of drinking to celebrate his return from Iraq, the U.S. Marine reservist pulled his service-issued Beretta, put it in Cesar Valdez's mouth and pulled the trigger.
Sullivan's attorney argued that the gun went off by accident as Valdez tried to wrestle it away from Sullivan.
"This tragedy could have been prevented," Baca said. "Alcohol and guns don't mix."
More Information: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-influence11-2008nov11,0,235730.story
The nation's largest sheriff's department plans to ban deputies from carrying guns if they've been drinking, saying there have been too many arrests of tipsy deputies for drunken driving, brandishing weapons, shooting people and other crimes.
At least 61 Los Angeles County deputies have been arrested this year on alcohol-related charges while off duty, including 39 for driving under the influence. In April 2006, a rookie deputy who had at least 11 drinks while celebrating his return from Marine duty in Iraq shot and killed a friend.
An increase in arrests prompted Sheriff Lee Baca to consider the ban about a year ago, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Tuesday.
It was unclear what caused that increase, although Whitmore noted that the number of sworn deputies in the department has increased to more than 10,000. It also may be that other police agencies are making more arrests of intoxicated deputies instead of covering for them as in decades past.
"Thirty, 40 years ago, perhaps they would drive (deputies) home," Whitmore said.
He said the policy could be in place as early as January.
"It's been revised, finalized, the union has been conferred with and the sheriff is prepared to move forward," Whitmore said.
The union is arguing, however, that the policy could put deputies at risk by emboldening people who know they would be unarmed at certain times.
"What should a deputy do when he is with his family and runs into a violent offender he incarcerated?" asked Steve Remige, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
Baca dismissed the criticism.
"What the union wants is to convince the public that alcohol use by deputies is of no consequence to public safety," Baca said, adding he was not asking his deputies to take any action he wouldn't take himself.
The policy would be among the more restrictive among law enforcement agencies. The Los Angeles Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department do not have specific policies about drinking and carrying weapons.
Baca's policy would bar Sheriff's Department employees from carrying or handling weapons if they have used alcohol, medications or controlled substances to the point where they are "unable to exercise reasonable care and control of the firearm."
Since 2004, more than a dozen deputies have been accused of brandishing or shooting guns while under the influence. One deputy was placed on leave after he accidentally shot a man in the leg after drinking at a New Year's party.
Another deputy, Chris Sullivan of Upland, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of his friend in April 2006.
San Bernardino County prosecutors contend that after a night of drinking to celebrate his return from Iraq, the U.S. Marine reservist pulled his service-issued Beretta, put it in Cesar Valdez's mouth and pulled the trigger.
Sullivan's attorney argued that the gun went off by accident as Valdez tried to wrestle it away from Sullivan.
"This tragedy could have been prevented," Baca said. "Alcohol and guns don't mix."
More Information: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-influence11-2008nov11,0,235730.story
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Chamblee Sgt Bredan Parks Arrested for Reckless Conduct
LOGANVILLE
A Chamblee police officer was arrested at his home in Loganville Sunday morning, officials said.
Neighbors said they heard dozens of gunshots coming from Sgt. Brendan Parks' backyard off Rosebud road around 4 a.m. Sunday. He is an officer with the Chamblee police department. Officials with that department have confirmed his arrest.
Parks was taken to the Gwinnett County detention center. He has met bond. He is facing charges of reckless conduct, discharging a firearm and pointing a gun. He was not available for comment.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Drunken Officers Fire Weapons at Party
Two Minneapolis police officers are now facing felony charges. A criminal complaint alleges that 34-year-old Scott Mars and 28-year-old William Thornbury fired their guns outside of a party in South Minneapolis last month while they were off duty.
On the night of May 28th, Minneapolis Police responded to a 911 call in a south Minneapolis neighborhood. When they arrived they never expected to be investigating two of their own.
According to the criminal complaint, earlier that evening a neighbor walked over to a nearby home where a party was taking place and asked some people standing outside to keep it down.
They apologized, but a little while later a black Chevy Tahoe left the party and pulled in front of the man's house. The men inside the SUV yelled a profanity and then fired several gunshots into the air through the vehicle's sunroof.
"This is a very dangerous situation. Individuals easily could have been seriously injured or killed," said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom.
Police arrived and pulled the Tahoe over. Inside they found two guns and spent shell casings. They identified the driver as Officer Scott Mars and the passenger as Officer William Thornbury.
Dakota County is handling this case because of conflict of interest, but the case will still be tried in Hennepin County. Backstrom said the two officers put lives in danger and their careers in jeopardy.
"They are going to be treated exactly the same as anyone else who be doing a similar thing under these circumstances," said Backstrom.
Both officers are on paid administrative leave until the case is resolved. The men face two felony charges each, and Mars, the driver of the Tahoe, also faces a drunken driving charge. His blood alcohol level was 0.19 -- more than twice the legal limit.
If convicted of the felony charges, the men would lose their license as police officers. They could also face a year in jail and thousands of dollars in fines.
On the night of May 28th, Minneapolis Police responded to a 911 call in a south Minneapolis neighborhood. When they arrived they never expected to be investigating two of their own.
According to the criminal complaint, earlier that evening a neighbor walked over to a nearby home where a party was taking place and asked some people standing outside to keep it down.
They apologized, but a little while later a black Chevy Tahoe left the party and pulled in front of the man's house. The men inside the SUV yelled a profanity and then fired several gunshots into the air through the vehicle's sunroof.
"This is a very dangerous situation. Individuals easily could have been seriously injured or killed," said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom.
Police arrived and pulled the Tahoe over. Inside they found two guns and spent shell casings. They identified the driver as Officer Scott Mars and the passenger as Officer William Thornbury.
Dakota County is handling this case because of conflict of interest, but the case will still be tried in Hennepin County. Backstrom said the two officers put lives in danger and their careers in jeopardy.
"They are going to be treated exactly the same as anyone else who be doing a similar thing under these circumstances," said Backstrom.
Both officers are on paid administrative leave until the case is resolved. The men face two felony charges each, and Mars, the driver of the Tahoe, also faces a drunken driving charge. His blood alcohol level was 0.19 -- more than twice the legal limit.
If convicted of the felony charges, the men would lose their license as police officers. They could also face a year in jail and thousands of dollars in fines.
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